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The Flowers of the Bahamas and Turks and Caicos Islands (Macmillan Caribbean Natural History) | 
 enlarge | Author: Kathleen Mcnary Wood
Publisher: Macmillan Caribbean
Category: Book
Buy New: $22.10
New (2) from $22.10
Rating:  3 reviews
Sales Rank: 682198
Media: Paperback
Pages: 224
Shipping Weight (lbs): 0.9
Dimensions (in): 8.4 x 5.4 x 0.6
ISBN: 0333956761
EAN: 9780333956762
ASIN: 0333956761
Publication Date: September 3, 2003
Availability: Usually ships in 1-2 business days
Shipping: International shipping available
Condition: Brand New. Delivery is usually 5 - 8 working days from order, International is by Royal Mail Airmail
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Product Description
The native and indigenous plants that make their homes in the islands of The Bahamas and the Turks and Caicos Islands originally made their way across air and sea currents to the freshly created land areas. Those that survived the perilous journey became naturalized over time. However there are some plant species that were introduced by man for food, medicinal purposes or purely for their ornamental value. As a result The Bahamas and Turks and Caicos Islands boast some 1,400 different species of flowering plants. This useful and easy to use guide provides a valuable reference not only to experienced botanists but also to everyone who is interested in identifying the flowering plants of these islands. The flowers are grouped into colours and within each group they are listed alphabetically according to family and species.
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| Customer Reviews:
 A Good Field Guide December 28, 2003
1 out of 1 found this review helpful
Long overdue there is finally a good pocket guide available for those interested in the plants of the Bahamas and the Turks and Caicos Islands. Although the author has not produced an exhaustive listing of all species, she has done an excellent job of producing a more than adequate listing of both the common, and the less common plants found here. The descriptions are adequate, and the scattered vignettes add extra interest for those who want a little more than a dry description of the plants themselves. The photography is good and makes identification easy. I really like the idea of arranging by colour, for the amateur and casual observer this makes life very simple. Although a book of flowers, sufficient foliage is photographed to allow for identification when out of bloom. There are some minor "typos", as expected in a first edition of this type, but numbering less than 20 they are not sufficient to detract from the rest of the book. The size makes it extremely user friendly and easy to carry around. I would highly recommend this book to both the amateur and professional alike.
 A Somewhat Useful But Confusing Guide November 12, 2003
0 out of 3 found this review helpful
Many photos in this guide are out-of-focus with shallow depth-of-field (but some are excellent). One photo (Bahama Stopper) was printed upside down. Others (Fleabane; Pencil Flower) seem to have been taken with total indifference. The photo of Wild Cotton is of an aged, faded flower and that of Cork Tree is not fully open. Although the book is advertised as "comprehensive" it actually covers fewer than 180 species of a total flora of over 1,350 species. Sadly, the author chose to include such invasive exotic species as Australian Pine, Mahoe, Cork Tree, and even Royal Poinciana, a native of Madagascar. The Bahamas are rich with unique native species along with many endemics, so including exotic species when there is such limited space in the book is disappointing. The reader will also be confused by the botanical names listed in parantheses following each species, which make one believe that they are botanical synonyms when they are, in fact, separate species. In the case of Brasiletto, the first botanical name is Caesalpinia bahamensis yet the photo is of Caesalpinia reticulata, the third (of four) species listed. There are also a number of misspellings, such as Caesalpinia bondoc for C. bonduc, Pinus caribbaea for Pinus caribaea, Dondonaea for Dodonaea, Scaveola for Scaevola, and Extosema for Exostema. At least one common name (Allamanda) was misspelled (as Alamanda). Also, many of the botanical names are long-ago outdated. The text accompanying each species will be useful to novice wildflower enthusiasts and those interested in bush medicine of the Bahamas but, overall, the book does not do the flora of the Bahamas and Turks and Caicos much justice.
Long awaited, much appreciated January 28, 2004
I have found this book to be extremely useful and I would recommend it to anyone (expert or amateur)who is interested in finding out more about the flowers. It is really quite easy to use and has helped me already to identify several plants that I have been wanting information on for years.
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